Sunday, 22 December 2013

The most powerful tropical cyclone of the year hit the Philippines on November 8, 2013. Super typhoon Yolanda (International codename: Haiyan) barreled through most of the Visayas, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.

As you all may know, it caused havoc to the provinces of the Visayas displacing thousands of houses and establishments and thousands been killed and missing. There are so many aids pouring from all over the world with the United Kingdom as the topnotch donor of aid. As the aids are pouring, the distribution of the basic commodities like food, water, shelter were very slow and politicking was a usual occurence. Most of the items never reached the victims or there were some slow pace distributions to the affected.I know that Samar and Leyte provinces will recover and rehabilitate soon with the help of our prayers and the agencies that are responsible in restoring back to normal. Let us just hope that there will be no more calamities that will undergo Philippines.

Monday, 28 October 2013

Failure to solve a riddle being shared on Facebook is prompting thousands to change their profile pictures to an image of a giraffe.

The riddle – which has nothing to do with the African mammal – is said to be easy to solve, but is tripping many users up as it spreads around the social network.

The question asked in the challenge is: ‘It’s 3am, the doorbell rings and you wake up. Unexpected visitors! It’s your parents and they are here for breakfast. You have strawberry jam, honey, wine, bread and cheese. What is the first thing you open?’

(See the bottom of this article for the correct answer).

Facebook users who have failed the challenge must change their profile pictures on the site to a photo of a giraffe and re-post the riddle, asking friends to message them with the answer.

The challenge is spreading quickly (Picture: Facebook)

If they also incorrectly guess the solution, they must change their profile picture and post the riddle for their friends to guess, thus spreading the game further around Facebook.

However, some users of the social network are already tiring of the riddle.

‘Lord, give me the strength not to slap the faces of the people who changed their profile photo to a giraffe on facebook,’ wrote one frustrated Facebooker.

Wednesday, 16 October 2013

An earthquake with energy equivalent to “32 Hiroshima bombs” jolted the Visayas, and parts of Mindanao and southern Luzon early Tuesday morning, causing centuries-old churches and modern buildings to crumble, disrupting power and phone services, setting off stampedes and killing at least 97 people.The 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck at 8:12 a.m. with its epicenter at 2 kilometers southeast of Carmen town in Bohol province, known for its chocolate hills and tarsiers.Bohol and Cebu have declared a state calamity as the death toll rose to 97 in the two provinces.The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said the movement of the East Bohol Fault triggered the strongest quake in the Visayas in 23 years. Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum placed the depth of the tectonic tremor at 33 kilometers.

The US Geological Survey initially reported the quake as having a magnitude of 7.2, but shortly afterward lowered it to 7.1.

By noon, Phivolcs had recorded 137 aftershocks in Carmen and Tagbilaran, the strongest of which was magnitude 4.3 at 9:37 a.m. Intensity IV was felt in Tagbilaran.

Magnitude is the measurement of the energy released by the earthquake, while intensity measures the extent of damage caused by the quake.

Many roads and bridges were reported damaged, but historic churches dating from the Spanish colonial period suffered the most. Among them is the country’s oldest, the 16th-century Basilica of the Holy Child in Cebu, which lost its bell tower.

A 17th-century limestone church in Loboc town, southwest of Carmen, crumbled to pieces, with nearly half of it reduced to rubble.

Bohol Administrator Alfonso Damalerio said two other churches in Maribojoc and Loon were destroyed. The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council of Bohol also received reports of damage to old churches in Loay, Clarin and Baclayon as well as the belfry in Panglao.

Sunday, 13 October 2013

MANILA -- Veteran broadcast journalist Cheche Lazaro tackles homosexuality and its many permutations in a two-hour documentary that weaves the points of view of people with same-sex attraction, their families, and the sectors that either support or reject them.

According to study of two nationwide surveys eight years ago, one in every four Filipinos would not want to have lesbians and gay men as neighbors.

Twenty eight percent of the respondents also considered their sexuality as something "unjustifiable."

The following year, 2006, and three years later, 2009, a government institution gave flesh to the negative attitude of many Filipinos toward the gay community.

The Commission on Elections shut the door on the Filipino lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT) by denying the application for accreditation of the party-list group Ang Ladlad, the LGBT political party.

Ladlad was disqualified to run in the 2007 elections for failing to prove its nationwide membership, while their petition in 2010 was junked on grounds of immorality.

But the Supreme Court intervened and gave Ladlad the go-signal to join the 2010 elections. The LGBT political party, whose advocacy equal rights among all Filipinos, failed to make it.

Over the years, the Filipino perception of the gay community has found expression in a number of ways – discrimination in terms of employment, bullying in schools, harassment in work places, and in some cases, grisly murders.

Yet, despite the risks, a number of personalities have come out of the closet to be counted as part of a “growing” community in search of their own truths after years of living a lie.

In time with the an internationally observed National Coming Out Day this month, "Cheche Lazaro Presents" takes a deeper look into the world of the LGBTs and their struggle for acceptance in the special documentary, which airs on Sunday after "Gandang Gabi Vice" on ABS-CBN.

Former child star and singer Aiza Seguerra talks about her journey of acceptance, while gay comedian Ogie Diaz gives a peek into his 13-year blissful marriage that has produced four daughters.

A woman narrates how science has helped her own transformation into a man while her very conservative father looks back at how his family dealt with the situation.

A bisexual ordained as a minister and will be installed as a pastor, and a married lesbian couple share their views about love and family. Eight gay men way past their prime complete the tales of joys and pains of being “different.”

Joining the discourse are experts from various fields – a psychologist, geneticist, sex realignment doctor, human rights activist and priests.

Sunday, 6 October 2013

BALI, Indonesia—Miss Philippines, Megan Young, was crowned Miss World in a glittering finale on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Saturday.

“I promise to be the best Miss World ever,” Young, 23, said after winning the 63rd annual event, as a large number of Filipino fans who traveled with her celebrated by jumping and waving the country’s flag.

“Salamat sa mga kababayan ko. Mahal na mahal ko kayo (Thanks to my compatriots. I love you very much),” said the teary-eyed actress after she was crowned on Hindu-majority Bali at the end of a three-week contest.

Philippines’ first

Young, wearing a pearl white gown, bested 126 beauty queens from around the world to become the first Filipina to win the coveted title in a contest broadcast to more than 180 countries worldwide.

The 127 contestants vying for the crown were introduced Saturday wearing evening gowns shimmering in sequins, many of them with plunging necklines and slits up the leg. Four candidates dropped out earlier, mainly due to illnesses, said Syafril Nasution, one of the local organizers.

Young, who took the crown from Wenxia Yu of China, the 2012 winner, was born in the United States. When she was 10 she moved to the Philippines, where she has appeared in films and as a television host.

Core value of humanity

She thanked the judges for choosing her and pledged to “just be myself in everything I do, to share what I know and to educate people.”

To the question “Why should you be Miss World?” Young answered, “I treasure a core value of humanity and that guides people why they act the way they do. I will use this to show other people how they can understand each other … as one, we can help society.”

This is the first time the Philippines has won a Miss World title crown in the 63-year history of the London-based pageant.

The country has won the Miss Universe title twice, Miss International four times, Miss Earth once and Miss Supranational also once, this year.

The closest the Philippines came to win the Miss World title before were in 1973 with Evangeline Pascual and in 2011 with Gwendoline Ruais. Both finished first runner-up.

Interest in Asia

A total of 129 contestants had been due to compete in the final, but two pulled out at the last minute, according to organizers.

While the popularity of Miss World, first held in 1951, has waned in the West, continued interest in Asian countries ensures that the final rakes in a huge global television audience.

Venezuela has produced the most Miss Worlds, with six winners, while India and Britain claim five titles

Aside from Yonting, his coach, Tony winner Lea Salonga, was equally elated that her bet won.

“It’s been interesting. It’s been amazing. It’s been wonderful. It’s been a learning experience for me because this is the first time I’ve coached like this. I’m hoping that he actually got something from it,” she said.

According to Salonga, she and Yonting did not expect the victory and that they were already content with the top 2 spot.

“For me kasi, we were also talking about it na okay na, we are in the top 2, we are fine. Whatever is God’s will, that’s what will happen. The kaba was gone because at that point, it was beyond us,” she said.

“I think it’s God’s will that we got the second spot to sing which made me happy that he got to sing last. He picked a song that he knew, he’s comfortable with, that he didn’t have to learn,” she added.

Saying Yonting is deserving of the win, Salonga is hoping the world will get to know his talent and good heart.

As the first-ever winner of “The Voice of the Philippines,” Yonting won a P2 million, a new car, an Asian tour package for two and a four-year recording contract with MCA Universal.

Monday, 23 September 2013

This is a good news for those with experience on watches. Queen Elizabeth II is looking for somebody that will look after her 1,000 clocks. The horological conservator rolewas advertised on the head of state’s official website and said applicants needed to be ‘experienced at working with hand and machine tools,’ according tothe Daily Mirror.

Watch experience is a must and be knowledgeable in troubleshooting and repairs of the watches.

The busiest period during the year for the person that nabs the £31,200-a-year job will undoubtedly be when the clocks change by one hour in March and October.

Some of the perks involve being based at Buckingham Palace and also getting to work inside Windsor Castle and Sandringham.

‘The post-holder will be required to travel to all royal residences,’ the job description said.

The person that gets hired will be dealing with a number of different timepieces, including pocket watches and turret clocks.

Sunday, 22 September 2013

I was so lucky to witness the Olympics 2012 in London last year and getting hold of the tickets was very hard and impossible as there were so many people who wanted to get tickets. After a passionate dedication of bidding the ticket, I managed to watch the track and field events.

The olympic stadium that hosted the olympics and paralympics games opening and closing ceremonies and the athletics events. It is the stadiumlocated in Stratford, England. It is located at Marshgate Lane in London's Stratford district. It holds up to 80,000 spectators seat. I really enjoyed the olympics.

Saturday, 21 September 2013

This year 2013, the mid-autumn festival falls on September 19th. The holiday lasts from September 19 to 21.Falling on the 15th day of the 8th month according to the Chinese lunar calendar, the mid-autumn Festival is the second grandest festival in China and worldwide. It takes its name from the fact that it is always celebrated in the middle of the autumn season. The day is also known as the Moon Festival, as at that time of the year the moon is at its roundest and brightest.There are so many moon cakess (tikoys) in Ming Moon Chinese Restaurant in Birmingham City centre, my favourite Chinese buffet restaurant with wide arrays of Chinese foods for a cheap price.People in mainland China enjoy one day off on the festival which is usually connected with the weekend. In Hong Kong and Macau, people also enjoy one day off. However, it is not scheduled on the festival day, but the following day and it is usually not connected with the weekend. In Taiwan, the one day holiday falls on the festival day. The Moon Cake (tikoy as formally known to Filipinos) is the special food of Mid-Autumn Festival. On that day, people sacrifice moon cakes to the moon as an offering and eat them for celebration. Moon cakes come in various flavors according to the region. In the Philippines, there are varieties of flavours now on sale like ube, monggo, peanut, etc. The moon cakes are round, symbolizing the reunion of a family, so it is easy to understand how the eating of moon cakes under the round moon can evoke longing for distant relatives and friends. Nowadays, people present moon cakes to relatives and friends to demonstrate that they wish them a long and happy life.

Friday, 20 September 2013

I really miss the LondonOlympics 2012. I watched most of the events and that means lots of money spent but I didn't regret it as I was able to watch the best show on earth last year. It was considered as the olympics ever hosted and the pageantry is awesome.

How I wish that London will host again in the future. I'm looking forward to go to Rio de Janeiro on 2016 Olympic games but I still need a big amount to support my expenditures there.

Wednesday, 18 September 2013

I've been away from blogging for a long long years due to legal action against me but everything is alright now. I have learned my lessons and the it is so difficult to fight with the giants because in the end, I would be the loser.

Anyway, I'm back to normal. I'm posting only necessary stories and I know people have no time reading blogs due to the booming situation of facebook. Hope to hear from you guys as well.